Trai Hume, Northern Ireland captain and Sunderland stalwart, embraces the art of tackling | OneFootball

Trai Hume, 24, is indispensable for Sunderland and captains Northern Ireland, who meet France on Monday at 21:10. L'Équipe notes that he arrives with a reputation for relishing tackles, and he has 30 caps.

Régis Le Bris has held Hume up as the embodiment of the club’s edge, saying supporters respond to commitment, teamwork and the kind of firm challenges he makes. France will need to be wary of a right-back who times sliding interventions.

Former coaches say weekends were spent perfecting slides on his grandfather’s lawn with cousins, according to his father Jonny. Ballymena United’s Stanley Galbraith called him the best defender of his age in Northern Ireland, while Linfield’s Scott Boyd described a tough tackler and a source of pride.

His 38 appearances this season underline his status at the Black Cats, whom he joined in 2022 at 19 when they were still in League One. More than a tackler, the Chelsea supporter is a modern full-back comfortable on the ball, voted Sunderland’s player of the season last term and Northern Ireland’s in 2025. He said young players relish this sort of challenge and feel driven to show what they can do.

From Ballymena, like actor Liam Neeson, Hume embodies a new wave for the Green and White Army alongside Dan Ballard and Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley. Recently extended to 2030, he has been linked to Real Madrid this summer. On Sunday he told reporters he had seen the rumours but had not paid them much attention.

Source: L'Équipe